Uneven, sloping or dipping floor in your Smethwick home? Why it matters for a new floor, what causes it, and how a floor is levelled properly first.
An uneven floor is one of the main reasons new flooring fails early. Laminate gaps open up, vinyl shows every bump, tiles crack and click flooring squeaks, all because the floor underneath was never level. Fixing the base first is what makes a new floor look good and last.
The causes vary. Old timber floors sag between joists or have boards that have cupped over time. Concrete floors can have dips, ridges and old adhesive left from previous coverings. Extensions are often laid at a slightly different level to the original house, leaving a step or slope where the two meet. In Smethwick we find all three: dipping floorboards in the older terraces around Rood End, patchy concrete in kitchens, and level changes where extensions have been added in Uplands and Bearwood.
Most uneven floors can be put right. Timber floors are secured and overboarded with plywood. Concrete floors are smoothed with a self levelling compound, which flows out flat and sets hard. Once the base is level and firm, the new floor goes down properly and stays that way.
You can, but it rarely ends well. Gaps, squeaks, cracks and visible bumps usually follow. Levelling first is what makes the new floor last.
A liquid screed poured over a concrete floor that flows out flat and sets hard, giving a smooth level base for the new floor.
Loose boards are secured, damaged ones replaced, and plywood sheets are laid over the top to give a firm, flat surface.
It can add a day, sometimes a little more for concrete that needs to cure. It is the part that decides how good the finished floor looks.
01Try the ball test | Put a marble or small ball on the floor. If it rolls off in one direction, the floor slopes. A long spirit level on its edge shows dips and humps. |
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02Dip, hump or step? | A dip in the middle of a room often means sagging boards. A step usually means two floors laid at different levels, like an old house and an extension. |
03Bouncy or soft spots? | A floor that feels soft or springy may have a weak joist or rotten boards. That needs sorting before any levelling. |
04Old floor coverings | Old tile adhesive, carpet gripper and staples all create bumps. They are removed before a floor is levelled. |
05Tell us what you want on top | Different floors need different levels of flatness. Tiles and LVT need the flattest base, so mention what you are planning. |
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